Arc-light cut-out.



0. L. BUNDY.

ABC LIGHT CUT-OUT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1910.

1,047,744. Patented Dec. 17,1512.

UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFTON L. BUNDY,

or ,PHILADELPBIA, rnNNsYLvANIA, micron; 'rcrmLA- DELPHIA ELECTRICAL AND MANUFACTURING coxrANY, or rmenurnn; PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or rENNsYLVANIA. A I

ABC-LIGHT CUT-OUT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be, it known that I, Cmr'rongL. BUNDY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Arc-Light Cut- Outs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates' to cut-outs or switches for controlling electric current; and it consists of an improved device designed more particularly for use with are lamps and are lamp circuits whereby the main line supplying current to a lamp or lamp circuit can be closed, and the lamp or lamp circuits entirel disconnected.

' As is well known, t ere is considerable danger connected with the handling of arc.

lamp or are lamp circuits when current is passing through saidlamps or circuits.

My present invention, which is in the nature of an improvement on the structure covered b Patent No. 836,482, granted to me and bert H. Manwaring, comprises means for disconnecting any lamp or any loopcontrolling a series of lamps when the current is on, by detaching the wires leading to the lamp or to the loop controlling a series of lamps and simultaneously closing the main line; thereby enabling the operator to handle the lamp or lamp circuit without danger of receivin a shock. My improved cut out or switc however, is available for use with any system for distributin electric current.

hose and other features of my invention are more fully referred to hereinafter, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, in w ich:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a cutout structure embodying my present improvements; Fig. 2, is a side elevation showmg a portion of the structure is section on the line aa, Fig. 1; the lamp being in circuit with the source of current supply; Fig. 3, is a view similar'to Fig. 2, showing the lamp circuit disconnected, and Fig. 4, is a sectlonal view on the line bb, Fig. 2, illustratin a detail of my invention. g

In t e drawings, 1 representsthe upper shell or casing of an ordinar arc lamp structure having the usual bin in osts' 2 for current-supply wires 3 and 4. -%he shell or casing may be provided with a link 5 whereby it may be suspended; and sup- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed J'uly a, 1910. semi Io. 570,957.

been cut out.

Patented Dec. 1 7,

' ported by ahook 6 is the structureucarrying the switch or cut-out deviceforming the subject of my. invention, and from which the lamp is hung. This structure comprises a casing 7', of suitable form; in the present,

instance being substantially spherical and having a cover member hinged at 8, to which casing may be attached a series of insulating members 9, 10 and 11. The member 9 holds part of the su porting structure, while the members 10 and 11 are employed simply as supports for leading-in wires l2.and 13 suppl ing the current, which wires are attache thereto in any suitable or approved manner.

Within the casting 7 is a plate 15, which may be of insulating material or properly msulated from said casing, such plate carrying the switch terminals. They consist, in the present instance, of tubular elements 16 and 17 arran ed in line with each other and with a bridging member 18 which rovides the desired connection for the main ine current, thereby cutting out the lamp or lam circuit when it becomes necessary to wor upon the same. Connected to these terminals are binding posts 19 and 20,to which the leading-in wires 12 and 13 are secured in the usual manner.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the connecting plug is shown in the proper position to connect the lamp in circuit with the source of electric current, but in Fig. 3, such plughas been removed and the lamp or'lamp circuit has formed rial, har ries contacts 25 and 26 for engagement with the tubular terminal elements 16 and 17 within the casing 7. One of the current preferably of an insulating mate- 'supply wires for the lamp, '3, for instance,

is connected to one of these contacts, 25 for instance, while the other wire t, is connected to the other contact 26.- Between the-said contacts an insulating sleeve 28 isprovided. The bridging member 18 serving to close the main line circuit when the plug is removed,

The plug referred to is rubber, fiber, or the like, and carcomprises spring plates which may be anchored b a suitable screw or screws18' to one o the terminal elements within the casing, 17 for instance, and such bridging member may have a projection 29 in.

the .path of said adapted to be engaged y the nsulating plug, which projection isv portion 28 of the plug when the latter is insorted, thereby opening the circuit closed by the bridging member and'brmgmg the lamp into circuit with the source of current supply on the under si e of the same so as to prevent access of rain water.

It will be understood of course that the form of the contact terminals within the easing may be changed as well as the bridging member connecting the same so long as a movable member having the lamp or lamp circuit wires is employe to engage saidterminals and simultaneously separate said bridging member therefrom.

I claim:

1. The combination of a casing having an aperture, a pair of fixed terminals Within said casing and disposed in axial alinement with the aperture of the casing, said terminals being separately disposed within said casing some distance from each other, an insulating block carrying said terminals, a bridging member carried by one of said ter minals and adapted to engage the other to complete a circuit, a plug adapted to enter the casing and having separate annular contacts for engagement with the walls of said terminals, and means carried by said plug intermediate its contacts for displacing the bridging member when the plug is in position.

2. The combination of a casing having an aperture, a pair of fixed terminals within said casing and disposed in axial alinement with the aperture of the casing, said terminals being separately disposed within said casing some distance from each other, an insulating block carrying said terminals, a spring bridging member carried by .one of said terminals and adapted to engage the other to complete a circuit, a plug adapted to enter the casing and having separate annular contacts for frictional engagement with the respective terminals, and insulating means carried by said plug intermediate its contacts for displacing the bridging member when the plug is in position.

b 3. The combination of a casing having an opening, an insulated block disposed within said casing, a pair of fixed sleeve-like members forming terminals carried by said block and disposed with their axes in line with the axis of said opening, said terminals being situated some distance from each other,

' by said. plu

a bridging member anchored to one of said terminals and engaging the other to complete a circuit through the same, said bridging member having a projection on its under side, a removable plug adapted to the opening in said casing, a plurality of annular contactmembers for frictional enga ement I with said terminals carried by sai plug, and a section of insulating material carried for engagement with the projection of t e bridging member when the plug is in place.

4. The combination of a casing having an opening, an insulated block dis osed within said casing, a pair of fixe sleeve-like members forming terminals carried by said block and disposed with theiraxes in line with the axis of said opening, said terminals being disposed in alinement some distance from each other, a spring bridging member anchored to one of said terminals and engaging the other to complete a circuit through the same, said bridgin member having a projection on its under side in line with the openings through said sleeve-like terminal members, a removable plug adapted to the opening in said casin a lurahty of annular contact members or ictional engagement with said terminals carried by said plug, and a sleeve of insulating material carried by said plug intermediate the annular contact members for engagement with the projection/of the spring bridging member whenfthe plug is in place.

5. The combination of a casing, a pair of fixed terminals tubular in shape mounted therein and disposed some distance apart, a spring bridging member carried by one of said terminals and in engagement with the other to close aci'rcuit, a plug having sepa rated annular contacts for insertion in the casing to engage said terminals, an insulated member carried by said plug intermediate the contacts for displacing the bridging member, a stud carried in an aperture formed in one of said terminals, one of the contacts of said plug having a groove for the reception of said stud, and tension means for keeping said stud in the groove.

6. In an electrical connector, comprising coupling members, each having a set of mutually engaging contact shoes, adapted for sliding coupling engagement with the respective shoes of the other member, the

said arm, in retractive position, being adapted to bear upon the non-conducting shoe, substantially at right angles to its line of movement.

7. In an electrical connector, comprising coupling members having electrically separated contact shoes, and a bridging member for some of the shoes, the combination of a resilient actuating device supportingthe bridging member, a retracting non-conducting shoe on the opposing coupling member,

adapted, in coupling position, to move the actuatingdevice and bridging member to a retractive position, said shoe and the actuating device being arranged tor a forcible pressure engagement, substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the contact shoes into and outof coupling relation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification, in the presence of 

